Alexandria MN & Holmes City MN

As promised, here are a few pictures made since arriving at Jan's on Rachel Lake. Here's the welcoming front door.

Here's a closer look at the lovely coleus by the door

To the left of the pictures above is the great workshop building that Rod built years ago. I even helped a little and learned the precision  measuring methods when building with wood: I can only remember that the smallest adjustment was a skwosh...  which was a tad bigger than a sliver...

Next is the view from the back porch:  Rachel Lake.  If you listen very carefully, you might just hear the resident loon.

Jan and I went into Alexandria today and visited the Minnesota Maritime Museum where they had a art print display of the photographer Jim Brandenburg [of National Geographic fame].  The artist set himself of making a single picture each day for 90 consecutive days. I was stunned by what he could do around his Minnesota home at a single picture per day. That's definitely a challenge I could not do since I much prefer the ability to choose from many  attempts...

Of course, maritime museums will showcase neat boats: many here were from the plastic 50's, like this little round lightweight with a forty horse motor.  I think it claimed a top speed of over 40 mph!
I also think this is the boat you steered by leaning into the turn, since the motor itself was mounted to run straight forward.  It probably was as loud as today's sea-lice...  [Seadoos]

Boat trailers looked a lot different before the war: wooden spokes no less.

The Packard motor company had a deal to supply motors to GarWood, a famous pre-war fast boat maker.  Four of these V12 Packard motors were used in one of GarWood's speed record holders [110+ mph I think]. The background boat is a non racing GarWood 24' 'runabout'...

On the way to the lake, we stopped Holmes City to make this pictures of the Holmes City Seed Mill, boasting a steel roof with interesting tar based repairs...

I'm not sure just when the 'crack of dawn' will occur tomorrow, which happens to be Jan's birthday, but I'll be heading west to Okotoks, ASAP; so there may be few pictures for the next few days.

Actually, since I forgot the chargers for my camera batteries, there may be far fewer pictures than expected unless Joan can send the chargers to Nick's...  Hopefully, more to follow.